Opia
by Nothingbundtcakes
Summary: 'Excitied' wouldn't be the word Zach Mitchell would use to describe his winterbreak of babysitting. Bring his aunt's 17-year-old assistant into the picture and he has no complaints. In fact, he's sorta lovestruck. Unfortunately, the indominus-rex and baby raptors are out to get him. Zach/OC. A different spin on the movie and rated T for swearing and other stuff :)


**A/N: I'm not good with openings so here's a JW fic I came up with after watching the movie and fangirling over Zach Mitchell. A few notes, this story is told in 3** **rd** **person limited and through Zach's point of view. I thought it'd be fun to explore his character a bit more and sorry if I portrayed him a little too cynical for your liking. In my eyes, he's a sarcastic little shit. Lol. But it's all part of the character growth process! Anyway, there will be more author's notes in the end so please read 'em.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not have any rights to Jurassic World or its characters.**

* * *

Zach Mitchell couldn't ask for anything more than to spend his winter break away from pestering parents and an extremely creepy girlfriend. So when his aunt from who-knows-where said he and his brother could visit the land of not-so-extinct-monsters-anymore, naturally he'd have been thrilled.

But he wasn't. Because now he was on babysitting duty.

"...that's like 50 tons of food a week!" The little booger finished saying, about what he didn't know because the hormonal teenage boy was too busy ogling the giggling girls on the deck. Hey, at least there was something to keep him entertained.

The rest of the ride went by agonizingly slow, with his younger brother continuing to ramble about some dinosaur talk. Zach didn't really understand why Gray was so excited, they were just animals. They could have just gone to the zoo or something.

What caught his attention more was that his parents sent them away right after a big fight the couple had. Huh, figures. He should have seen this coming. But being the kind brother that he was, he won't break it to Gray. And hopefully the little kid won't catch on either.

"Come on Zach, hurry!" Gray pulled on his jacket before rushing ahead to look for the aunt that they haven't seen for like a decade. Speaking of Claire, Zach couldn't locate her face (well what he remembered of it) in the mob of people. He guessed she was a no-show. Really, what an amazing aunt.

Surprisingly, his brother was a fast runner and had gone too far ahead of him, but the older lad could see that Gray had suddenly stopped in front of someone.

That idiot. He should know not to talk to strangers.

Trailing after Gray, Zach pushed through the mob to get to him. "Hey, don't go running off-" But Gray didn't hear him as said lad was greeting some person Zach didn't know.

But he really would have liked too.

"Oh hello, you must be Gray. Nice to meet you!" A girl, a pretty small one, had just shook his brother's hand, while the other one was holding a sign that read 'Zach and Gray Mitchell'.

And Zach felt something...he didn't know what it was but something flipped in his stomach. Also for some reason, Zach really didn't know what to think at the moment. He was right about his aunt being a no-show but he didn't expect to be fetched by some girl. A girl who looked a lot like his age too!

"And you must be Zach." The little lady turned to him and offered a smile before stretching out her hand. Zach paused for a long moment and just stared. But the boy winced when he suddenly felt a jab at his side, forcing him to look down and find Gray rolling his eyes at him.

Damn. He probably looked really stupid at the moment.

Who could blame him though? He found the girl really attractive. And he wasn't talking attractive like the girls from earlier attractive or his girlfriend attractive (was she even?) No, this girl was really...something.

Curse his dumb hormonal teen brain.

Immediately after being hit, he gently shook her hand, while subtly giving her a once-over. She had long, slightly wavy and reddish-brown hair that was tied in a high pony tail (a good look but he wondered what she'd look like if it was down and messy) and light brown eyes. However, her petite build, dainty features and light skin led him to believe she was of asian descent with a mix of others. And notably, Zach found that the peter pan collared pink shirt, black shorts and dark brown ankle boots she wore made her appear too dressy for the summer heat, but that definitely did not stop her from looking anything less than **_hot_**.

"Uh...yeah hi." Zach's voice cracked after taking his hand back. Great, that was so smooth. And he could have sworn she quirked a brow at him, but her expression changed too quickly for him to be sure.

She laughed though, that was a good sign, right?

"Okay, I guess you're wondering where your aunt is." Gray agreed by saying yes while Zach said no before getting elbowed by his brother again.

Ugh, couldn't a guy have an opinion?

"Well um actually…she's a bit busy at the moment so that's why I'm here!" She pointed to herself and said "I'm Miss Claire's assistant, Rosie."

Zach quirked up an eyebrow and tried to mask his shock. He didn't know if he succeeded though. "A…Assistant?" For goodness' sake, the girl looked way too young to be working for some busy-body-lady who didn't even bother to pick up her beloved nephews.

But Rosie didn't give him the benefit of the doubt and nodded. She did however, give a half smile, probably knowing what he was thinking. "It's a long story."

Well, he could do long stories, if it meant he could watch her talk all day.

"But enough of that!" The girl bent down so she was eye level with Gray, although she didn't have to move very much. She had barely a few inches off his younger brother. "How 'bout we head over to the hotel and drop off your stuff? Then we can go see the dinosaurs!"

However, instead of voicing out his agreement, Gray simply grabbed the older girl's hand and pulled her towards the entrance of the park. But certainly, the action forced out a laugh from Rosie while Zach was left sneering and following after them.

How Gray could automatically let strangers (very cute strangers) let him do what he wanted, Zach would never know.

* * *

After getting them settled into their rooms and giving them their VIP wristbands, Rosie didn't waste any time heading them over to the main building. And Zach didn't know why but he was starting to feel sort of grumpy.

Maybe it was because the whole way there he didn't have a chance to chat Rosie up, mostly due to his brother preoccupying her attention with his lame dino facts and partly due to the fact that every time she looked at him, he'd lose words from his mouth faster than his mom lost her patience with his dad.

Ouch, he probably shouldn't have gone there.

"Zach?" A soft voice broke him from his musings and he inwardly cursed. Recent events showed that he clearly was not **_the_** Zach Mitchell around this girl and it was no doubt putting a damper on his mood. Because one, his earlier attempt on the trail ride to stare (using his signature smolder) at her to make her swoon failed and two, his brother was getting along much better with her than he was!

Consequently, the taller lad glanced down at Rosie before moving his gaze to some very interesting computerized dinosaurs. "Uh what?"

And exactly when did his brother leave the two of them alone?

Rosie bit her lip and walked literally right beside him, which of course sent a bunch off alarms in his head. Yes, it was pathetic how flustered he was getting around this small girl and really Zach was beginning to debate whether or not the effort was worth it. But goodness did she smell good.

"Well, I can't help but notice that," she paused to look up at him, "you seem kinda…I don't know, stiff?"

What, he was not stiff. And what's wrong with being stiff? Would flimsy had been better?

Zach coughed then tugged on the headphones around his neck. "I'm fine. Why don't you go entertain my brother or something?" After saying that, the boy wanted to smack himself. Huh, maybe he was stiff.

The girl frowned and he wondered if she'd turn on her heel and leave him alone. That would have made him both elated (because he could stop himself from being anymore embarrassing) and depressed (because he screwed things over once again) . Yet interestingly enough, she stayed and put a hand on her hip to boot. But wait…what did that mean?

"Zach… if there's something wrong you can tell me."

Well, he wasn't expecting that.

So he gave her a look. "Uh, nothing's wrong." Was she patronizing him?

But the girl shook her head and he was beginning to think he probably said something. "Look, is it about Miss Claire not being here? Because if it is-"

Oh good heavens, no. He didn't care if she'd say anything to them the entire stay. Zach immediately cut her off by shaking his head. "No, really. I'm fine Rosie."

Her eyes narrowed and he inwardly groaned. She wasn't buying it; he wanted to smack himself again. But the boy wondered if she sensed his dislike for his aunt.

Suddenly, she made a face that screamed 'aha!' before stuffing her hands in her bag in search of something. Zach didn't know what to make of the moment so he just watched and blinked.

After a few seconds, Rosie grinned and fleshed out a chocolate bar from her bag. Then swiftly, she pulled out his hand and placed the delicacy on his palm.

A chocolate bar…Why?

The boy gave her a long stare. "I'm not hungry."

However, his statement earned him a light slap on his bicep (he now knew she had a violent streak) and a frown from the smaller girl. "Oh don't lie. I heard your stomach on the trail ride here."

Zach didn't think she could bring out anymore embarrassment from him but that last statement proved that she did and god did he feel terrible.

So he resolved to softly glaring at her, albeit accepting the chocolate bar before ripping it open. She gave him a smug look that read 'I knew it' to which he jokingly scoffed, feeling a mix of exasperation and amusement. He wanted to laugh though, because he didn't exactly know if she hit the bull's eye. Maybe.

"Aunt Claire!" Zach looked to his left and saw Gray call out to an older woman descending down a flight of stairs.

'Wow, she actually showed up,' was what he was thinking and it probably showed on his face too because he felt a soft shove on his side, so he looked down to find Rosie rolling her eyes and silently telling him to go. Geez, even when she was like that he still found her adorable.

Gray ran over to their aunt before enveloping her in a big hug, catching the woman off guard. "Oh my goodness," She laughed. "You're so sweet."

Zach really didn't want to, but the girl made him walk over to them and when he did, he heard his aunt gasp in surprise.

" Woah Zach" Claire started. "Last time I saw you, you were like" She made a gesture with her hands. "That must've been like what 3, 4 years ago?"

Maybe it was the chocolate. Maybe it was the weather. But Zach just couldn't stop from being extra snarky when he said, "Uh 7, 7 years…but y'know close."

He waited for the light jab at his side. 1..2..ouch. There it was. But it was worth it. He glanced to his left, to the source of his pain, yet to his surprise she was covering a wide grin with her hand (the one that didn't hit him).

Well that helped his crumbling confidence. Just a bit.

Claire awkwardly coughed. "Um well. Here, this is for food." She handed Gray an envelope before motioning to Rosie who, right at that moment, mockingly grinned. "And Rosie here, is going to take very good care of you, okay?"

"Wait…you mean you're not coming with us?"

Claire half smiled before sighing. "Oh sweetie, I'm sorry but I have a ton of things to do today." Gray's shoulders slumped further and Zach just clicked his tongue. He'd expected as much. "Don't worry though, you'll have a lot of fun. And it's good that Rosie is the same age as you Zach," She now looked at him. "Better than having to listen to an adult all-day, right?"

Well, duh. But Zach fought the urge to say something snarky again. His side was beginning to hurt.

Suddenly, Rosie spun on her heal so he was now facing her as she put her hands behind her back. Zach warily watched the girl and swore there was twinkle in her eye.

"Yup, feel free to get in all kinds of trouble."

The boy scoffed. It was official, this girl was patronizing him. Either that or she could see right through him.

"Yes. Wait what no-" Claire shot a look to Rosie, who just shrugged innocently, then looked to her phone. "Right, well I'll see you all later tonight then, okay?" The three nodded before the woman turned in the opposite direction and walked away.

"Well that was awkward." The older boy was the first one to break the silence.

"Because you make it awkward." The girl countered so he scowled. "Hm, still hungry?"

Zach was about to outright deny the girl but Gray stepped in front of her and beamed. "I am!"

Rosie chuckled and offered his little brother her hand, "Okay, let's head over to the foodcourt for a bit then."

* * *

Judging from the money that Claire left the boys, Zach had a hunch that her job paid big. He wondered if that's why she wasn't so family-orientated. But, he dissed the thought after biting into his burger. The trio was sitting on a bench table at one of the park's terraces.

"Hey, Rosie. How are you Aunt Claire's assistant?" Gray asked the question Zach had been dying to know and so the teen frowned. The brat had beat him to it.

Rosie stared at the two as she took a sip from her soda. "Well…um… how should I put it…"

Zach raised a brow, somewhat surprised by her inability to explain. "Do you go to school?"

He made that sound more sarcastic than intended so he expected her to glare at him. However, she paused for a moment before shaking her head. "Nope. I graduated early."

The older boy was in the middle of biting into his hamburger when she said that, good thing he didn't take a bite just yet.

"What?"

Uh oh, he wasn't exactly so great with 'smart' girls.

But she didn't seem all that shocked, neither did Gray who instead was looking at her with high regard. "I was homeschooled." She breathe before glancing at Zach to give him a 'I'm-not-a-genius-don't-look-at-me-like-that' look. He gulped.

"Long-story-short, My parents didn't know what the word 'vacation' meant, drilled stuff into my head whenever possible and before I knew it, I was taking classes at 14 that a senior in high school would take."

Gray spoke up. "Then why are you here?"

Zach, after recovering from his shock, nodded and added, "yeah, no college?" But, immediately after saying that she made another face at him, making him wonder what he did wrong.

"Oh god no." She breathed, looking somewhat disgusted. "College at 14? Please, there are so many things to do with life other than school. I'll go when I'm ready."

Her comment caused the older boy to smirk. At least there was one thing they could both agree on. He still had a lot of questions though. "But how'd you end up being Claire's assistant?"

She sipped her soda again, which now that he thought about it, it was getting pretty distracting. His eyes would dart from her face down to her lips. They were a nice shade of pink.

"The head of the lab here, Dr. Wu, is a close friend of my dad. He asked if I wanted to come over for the summer." She was starting to speak faster. "One day Claire noticed me after an incident, asked me if I wanted to work and viola" She made exaggerated gestures with her hands while smiling animatedly. " I've now been her assistant for almost a year."

Zach sipped from his drink then narrowed his eyes. "You don't seem to like talking much about yourself."

Surprisingly, the girl chuckled, pointed a fry in his face and said softly, "I'll share when you share."

Damn, she was good at talking back. He grimaced as he took the fry from her fingers. Resting her cheek on her hand, the girl haughtily stared at him with her big doe eyes while he glared.

Apparently his brother thought to be anything but his wingman that moment and said to the girl, "Zach's real good with girls. You can tell by the way he treats his girlfriend back home."

…Really, of all things to tell her you tell her **_that_**. He didn't know if his brother was either dumb or ridiculing him. Probably both.

Zach almost choked on the soda he was drinking and tried to shush the little brat. However, in the corner of his eye he saw her eyes downcast, it was a millisecond, but he swore she looked a little taken back.

Once he fully looked at her though, she didn't really have an expression, but instead looked at him carefully, like she was analyzing him. "Really?"

Not knowing what else to do, he half-smiled. "We've kinda been on and off for a while though…I think it's time to call it quits."

Gray snorted. "No kidding, dude. She's kinda creepy." If she was creepy then why did you bother bringing her up?!

Yet, to his amazement (more like embarrassment), the girl looked at him with pity, but it disappeared it a flash when she started cleaning up her mess. She stood up, grabbed her tray and turned to the two brothers. "We should get going. I know the next showing of the Mososaurus is in a few minutes."

The comment caused Gray to nod his head vigorously before taking a last sip of his drink and following Rosie to the trashcans.

Feeling exhausted, annoyed and left alone once again, Zach rubbed his hand over his face before doing the same and following after them. So far, it had been a pretty good day.

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 **A/N: Great, chapter 1 done. So back to business. Sorry if the story seemed either rushed or slowed, the pace will settle in a few chapters after the dinosaurs are introduced. Also, this story does have similar scenes to those in the movie but for the most part, it will end very differently and the time spent in the park will be longer than one day. I mean, I want to give as much time possible for these characters to hit it off. Although they don't seem to be having a bad start. :)**

 **I like to think that in order to 'fall in love' in such a short matter of time, two people have to just click and that's what I'm trying to accomplish with Zach and Rosie. I think they balance out each other pretty well. And, this story isn't just about their love story, there is an actual plot that will be uncovered. Though, their romance will be the central point in this story.**

 **Anyway, I hope you like my character Rosie and also hope she's not too overbearing. I didn't want to go through a route where she's directly related to one of the characters (I'm referring to Chris Pratt and I'm sorry for the lack of him), because there are so many fics that already have that and I think those are great stories on their own. And Rosie is a character that will be fun to explore too, she's not as all calm and collected as this first chapter makes her to be.**

 **One more thing, I'm uploading this chapter right before I leave for my 3-day camping trip as I wanted to get some feedback while I'm away. Sorry you'll have to wait a while but really, the next chapter is where things start to get interesting.**

 **Hope you liked it! Please feel free to leave comments/reviews.**


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